Stourbridge

 Today's Canals - Staffs and Worcs, Stourbridge, Stourbridge Town Arm

The next few days plans are centred around two dates in the diary: Thursday Mike as a video meeting, at least until lunch time and we both have a Zoom meeting on Saturday morning. For the one tomorrow it is especially important to be sure of a good mobile signal. We opted to aim for Stourbridge, hoping that being in a built up area should ensure good reception. There was no mooring available in the basin but there are several mooring spaces just outside.

It was a splendid morning as we set off and ascended the lock at Stewponey, just a short distance away.

The lock was also the site of a former extensive wharf but most of the old buildings have now been re-purposed. The large Canal House now seems to be at least three dwellings. Above the lock we made use of the convenient water point before moving onto the 48hr moorings for yet another Zoom session, this time a regular catch up with a friend back in Cornwall.

We spotted that we were moored opposite a boat with the above sign - well at least we would not setting anything off!

Midday and we moved on again. We could see close by some of Stourton Castle but the hedge made it difficult to take a photo that shows as much as the eye can see. The site, with a hunting lodge, dates back to the time of William II but the present building was built in the 15C and substantially re-modelled in 19C. It remains in privater ownership as a 'family' home.

We arrived at Stourton Junction where we turned right and immediately ascended the flight of four locks.

The bottom three are close together. To avoid a short intermediate pound dropping its water level too far every time a boat passes through, large side ponds were created.

It was still not quite lunch time when arrived at the top lock so we opted to carry on to the next junction. The Stourbridge is largely rural and it was a pleasant cruise.

There is a short mooring with rings just before Wordsley Junction and close to the Stour Aqueduct, just enough for one boat, So, knowing that there few moorings showing on our map after that we opted to have lunch here. Just as we were tying up a very heavy rain storm arrived and we were glad to be inside as quickly as possible!

By the time we had finished lunch the rain had disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and bight blue skies shone as we we went under the junction bridge and turned onto the Town Arm, keen to make sure we could find a good mooring. We were quite pleased not to be tackling the Stourbridge Sixteen - straight ahead - on this trip!

Although there is room for a number of boats at our planned mooring, most were already occupied - some not just overnight. But we had a good space and there was no-one behind us later on so that we could use the engine to charge up the batteries before nightfall.

At the end of the Arm is the well-known Bonded Warehouse and many of the other buildings in the street have been adapted for leisure purposes - drinking and eating for the most part. After the long lockdown, most seemed to be gradually coming back to life with the latest opening up.

The site alongside the canal  - an iron works and rolling mill - has been extensively levelled and awaits a developer although a little further back a new small private hospital was opened last October.

3.5 Miles - 5 Locks